If you have a nine to five job and a lot of responsibilities to handle, you might prefer to stay in after work or have a day trip over the weekend to relax instead of going out to shop among the weekend crowds. Thus, we have compiled a list of some of the most popular and reliable online shopping sites that you can use from the comfort of your own home to get stuff done with a few simple clicks.
Groceries and Clothes
If you are planning to do your grocery shopping online, you will find many websites, ranging from the small and independent to big corporate markets. One of the most famous is Carrefour. Its branches are located everywhere around the city and they offer same-day delivery, usually within a few hours after purchase. To find out which branch is closest to your location, you can use this link. For those careful with their budget, here is the section where you can follow the promotions of Carrefour. You can create an account and start shopping right away.
Another reliable market is Migros. You can get the money club card that lets you collect points the more you shop. For discounts and locating the closest branch, keep up with the official website.
Happy Center is an alternative to Migros. You can simply create an account and start checking out the discounted items. Delivery is free with a minimum of a 50 TL purchase and if you don’t have a credit card, you can opt to pay in cash at the door upon delivery.
Try Boyner, Trendyol, Morhipo, and Markafoni for clothes, shoes, bags, and cosmetics; Çiçeksepeti for flowers and gifts; Teknosa and Vatan Computer for electronics, and Gittigidiyor, Hepsiburada, and N11 for everything else.
Books
As a bookworm, I try to follow up on seasonal discounts and offers. That’s why I check the D&R website at least once a month. Nowadays, there is a discount of up to 50% on over 1000 books from varying publishers. Simply follow this link to check out the discounted books and magazines, giving you something to curl up with under the blankets in these cold, cozy winter days.
Other popular options include Kitap Yurdu, Nadir Kitap, and İdefix. Kitap Yurdu has an English interface that makes it easier to use for expats, whereas İdefix has an extensive e-book collection that zero-wasters will adore.
Drugstore
Eczane, Dermo Eczanem, and Turuncu Ecza are some of the most popular online drugstores, where you can find almost all types of medicine, medical appliances, and supplements including skincare, vitamins, bath and spa products, and more.
Kırmızı Beyaz Eczane has one of the best customer services I have ever experienced and I can suggest its products with all my honesty.
Household Items
From curtains to furnishings, plates to bath towels, whatever you need regarding your household, you can trust Koçtaş, Enza Home, Evidea, and Evkur are also all reliable, with the latter having an English interface. Let’s also not forget good old IKEA.
Dekopasaj offers second-hand household items for affordable prices, where you can also sell your unwanted items.
Tickets
Looking for fun events, activities, and workshops in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey? Luckily you don’t have to go get the tickets and wait in lines for hours anymore. With a simple click on Biletix, Mobilet, or Biletino, now you can purchase the tickets you want in a few seconds and with no hassle.
If you are planning to travel via bus or plane, Bilet and Obilet come to the rescue. Simply create an account, swipe your card through the imaginary slider and there you have your seat booked with secure payment and zero commission. You will receive a confirmation mail immediately after purchase, and for whatever questions or concerns you may have, there is 7/24 support.
Comparison
If you are the type of person who compares prices of stuff before purchasing, you are in the right place! Cimri and Akakçe are two of the most well known and accurate websites that search the internet for you in seconds, and lets you find the cheapest option possible.
Second Hand
If you are trying to reduce your spending or you simply don’t want to consume new stuff, second-hand options will make you and your wallet happy. For clothes, try Dolap, Modacruz, and Gardrops. All you need to do is download the apps, create a profile and swipe through the clothing items, add them to your shopping bag, and voila! Simpler than Tinder, I promise!
For anything else, Sahibinden is the main website most locals use. It is almost like the Craigslist of Turkey. Speaking of Craigslist, not many locals use it or even know of it. So you better keep away for secure shopping.
Another alternative to Sahibinden is Letgo. For the past year or so, Letgo has upped its user count, thus nowadays for whatever you need/want to sell, you can try your luck on Letgo before hitting the other websites.
Baby Care
Your baby deserves the best! Some of the best online shops that sell baby products, clothes and more are Civilim, Cimcime Bebe, Bebe Cruz, and E-Bebek.
If your babies have already grown up and you don’t know what to do with the remaining clothes and accessories, Tutumlu Anne comes to the rescue. You can create an account and start listing your items. Interested moms will contact you for questions or simply pay and buy. Tutumlu Anne gets 17% commission from all sales. That’s still good considering the amount of space the products will take, plus you are helping a mom out!
Shopping and Social Impact
Speaking of helping someone out, what if you could support someone in need while shopping? Now you can! That’s right, with Givin you can either purchase a second-hand item or sell the stuff you no longer need for the benefit of an NGO of your choice. Isn’t that awesome?
Comment below and recommend the best websites you use for online shopping in Turkey.
thanks for this very useful blog! Do you by any chance know how or what we would need to ship clothing products throughout the world? We’re opening a clothing store soon and have no idea what to do 😫 thanks
Great article, thanks a lot for this! An introduction to what one needs to expect when shopping from non-Turkish online shops would be very much appreciated. Is it viable to buy from shops that are located outside of Turkey? How painful are the procedures that are needed to release items from customs? How expensive are customs fees in general?
Thanks a lot in advance.